Trade and raiding in the West

The Vikings had contact with the western parts of Europe and the British Isles which can be seen in finds of silver coins, glass beakers, jewellery and lead weights. The fact that objects arrived in Scandinavia was doubtless the result of both raiding and trade.

The material jet – which does not occur in Scandinavia – was used to make jewellery. Jet is a black, lustrous variant of bituminous coal or lignite. It can be compact enough to cut, file and turn and polished to a beautiful lustre.

To ship many different kinds of goods, large earthenware amphoras were used.

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